Tag Archives: Brian Ging

We got lucky! Daytrippers Celebrity Ambassador KURT YAEGER recently devoted an afternoon to answer a few questions for We Are Daytrippers in the midst of his very busy schedule. Thanks so much Kurt. We love what you said in this video as it was inspirational, encouraging and gives us insight into what makes you, you! Don’t miss these five minutes with Kurt Yaeger:

One thing you notice when you meet film writer, editor and producer BRIAN GING is that you are likely to be looking UP. At 200 centimetres tall and beaming a bright smile, you immediately feel there is something truly special about this guy. We Are Daytrippers was lucky to catch the busy filmmaker for a few minutes. Ging hails from Los Angeles, California together with his talented wife (they met many years ago on a movie set) and their cat Simba. Brian encourages us to follow our dreams one step at a time. Here are his words of advice:

I write, direct, and edit movies in California and other locations in the USA. I also make my living editing tv shows and commercials. This had been my dream job since I was a kid in high school, but its been a long journey to get here. I grew up a regular middle-class kid living in Phoenix, Arizona. This felt like a million miles from Hollywood (where I now live). I also had no idea what the journey would look like for me to make it here. I didn’t have any movie studio connections, knew nobody named Spielberg, and often barely made enough money to pay my rent and car payments while getting work where I could… I’m not by any means making the big budget films like you see at your local cinemaplex, but I am making lower budget films and projects that I care about. And I’m still for the most part just paying my rent and car payments. But without question, I’m doing what I love.

Brian Ging perfecting his craft.

I’m often asked how I got here. How did I end up with a life where I am paid to be creative for a living? Most people are looking for the magic bullet answer, the secret backdoor shortcut to reach their goal. I know in the beginning I certainly was, and I was pretty irritated that I couldn’t find it. I read books about film directors who’s first movie was discovered and they were swept into the Hollywood machine as “golden children” and granted fame and riches. I thought that sounded pretty good and I’d try that. After making my first film, that didn’t happen… The reality is that it doesn’t matter whether you are trying to build a career in a highly competitive industry like Hollywood, or working through a physical disability to strengthen your muscles with your physical therapist: There are no shortcuts. You just put one foot in front of the other (you screw up most of the time) but you grow and get better! I have always tried to simply look for the next bar on the ladder, the next step in the staircase. Whether it was working hard for free, or helping people who almost always organically helped me – I tried to make every film or commercial or project I worked on better than the last, growing and increasing my skill set.

The hardest thing for me about having such big dreams was constantly measuring how far I was away from my dream. Look how many stairs I still have to go! So many I can’t even count them! Which can be quite disheartening. To always be talking about “someday I’ll be great”, or “someday I’ll have the life I want” makes it incredibly hard to be happy in this moment… now. And that’s the secret really. To be happy in this moment, with where we are; with the step on the ladder we are currently standing on. Its like they say, gratitude will set you free.

So no matter what your dream, or your goal, realize that the only way you will reach it is to just take the next step in front of you. That’s all you are responsible for right now. I’ve learned to appreciate where I am, and where I was at in the journey towards my dreams.

One day I looked up and realized that… wow I’m doing something that would have made that teenage Brian pretty proud. It snuck up on me really. A fifteen year overnight success and I still have a long way to go; one step at a time. Often the scariest steps I’ve taken have led to the most growth.

Brian Ging as a kid channelling Groucho Marx

Good luck with whatever your passion is, or your dream. And know that the struggles and challenges you face … we all face them. The best thing you can do is be grateful for where you are at right now, and just take things one step at a time.

STACY KESTEN is an American filmmaker, artist, actor and meditation student who resides in Studio City, Los Angeles with her Film and T.V. editor husband Brian Ging. Stacy is dedicated to the study of Mindfulness and Meditation at UCLA because she has witnessed firsthand the varied benefits in those who have practiced for a long time. She hopes to demystify the learning curve and help those who wish to begin a practice of Mindfullness and Meditation.

Stacy shares her advice about handling stress with We Are Daytrippers:

Just living in modern society is stressful. Add being a parent to that equation and the potential for stress increases significantly. Top that off with being a parent of a special needs child and the word “stress” takes on a whole new meaning. So how does one handle this particular version of stress? The kind of stress so few others experience or even understand? I would like to suggest Mindful Meditation.

I know what you’re thinking: “with all of the demands of balancing life and the responsibilities of being a parent to a child with special needs, who has time to meditate?” I get it. It seems counter-intuitive. There’s always so much to do, and if, by some alignment of the stars, you have 20 minutes to yourself, then, well, there’s still always something else to do. I understand. But here’s my question: What is the quality of your life and your parenting experience, when you don’t take care of yourself? How much time is wasted and lost when your day feels scattered and harried? What I’m suggesting is that in order to take better care of your child, I urge you to also make yourself a priority. It is absolutely essential to partake in self-care activities that not only calm you, but also give you the opportunity to find inner peace so that your life may be more balanced. If you can find that balance and calm, you will be a better model for your children, and they will pick up on your improved energy which will in turn help their balance and calm as well. It’s a win-win!

In my meditation groups and classes parents often express that they experience guilt when they steal away for 20 minutes to meditate. somehow, it seems like a “selfish” way to spend their time. I would like to submit that nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is that there is no kinder gift we can offer to our family, our friends, and the world around us than the recharge we get by spending a few quiet moments alone, taking care of ourselves. When we take time to meditate we find more patience, clarity and presence. We also learn to cultivate more compassion, both for those around us and for ourselves.

As parents, it’s so easy to let the “inner-critic” take over. In case you’re not familiar with your inner-critic, allow me to introduce you to mine. My inner-critic is that nasty voice inside my head who shouts mean things; “you’re a bad parent” or “You’re not doing enough” or “you can’t do anything right!” Most of the time we allow these voices to run rampant and unchecked because we are unconscious of them. However, if we can become aware of them, they begin to lose their power over us – and one of the most effective ways to become aware of this toxic chatter is through meditation. you can practice meditation wherever you are – whether you’re out for a walk, riding the bus, waiting at the doctor’s office, or even in the middle of a difficult business meeting.

If you’re willing to give it a try, you might be asking HOWdoes one meditate? Do I burn incense, sit on a Tibetan pillow cross-legged and chant Ohm?!

It’s much simpler than that actually.

Here are a few steps:

1. Find a comfortable position, preferably sitting in a chair or lying down.

2. Take three deep slow breaths – Inhale and Exhale, Inhale and Exhale, Inhale and Exhale.

3. Now, allow your breathing to return to normal, and just gently observe your breath. Try not to control your breath. Try to just notice it. You can focus gently on any of the following:

The feeling of the air coming in and out of your nostrils.

The feeling of the rise and fall of your stomach, chest or shoulders.

The feeling of the air filling your lungs.

Any coping mechanism that helps you feel aware of your breath.

4. When you noticed that your mind wanders off (which it most definitely will) gently, and without giving yourself a hard time, bring your focus back to your breath.

That’s it! Meditation is as simple as that. I’m not saying it’s easy, but the key is to be kind and patient with yourself. The more you practice, the more you will see benefits. Over time, parents often report increased patience and compassion towards their children (and themselves) among many more benefits. As you learn to focus on the present moment, you will also begin to learn what is worth giving your attention to and what is not (no thanks, inner-critic!) which is sure to simplify your life. If I have managed to peak your interest, just start off with whatever level or time seems do-able. Should you find a few free moments, do take time to take care of yourself, so that you can, in turn, take care of others. I can’t think of a better way to invest a few minutes of time.